Vimy – Battle. Memorial. Icon. Exhibit

July 7 @ 9:00 am - October 26 @ 5:00 pm

For Canadians, Vimy Ridge is layered with multiple meanings: a bloody battlefield victory at the height of the First World War in France, the site of Canada’s best-known memorial to the conflict, and a symbol of evolving nationhood. This new graphic presentation richly illustrates these three themes on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the battle and the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation.

The journey begins with an unflinching look at one of the bloodiest battles in Canadian military history, whose success cost more than 10,000 Canadian casualties in four days. The second section shifts to how the battle has been commemorated, including the creation of the iconic and sublime Canadian National Vimy Memorial designed by sculptor and architect Walter Allward. The third part considers how, over several generations, some have come to see the Battle of Vimy Ridge as an important national symbol and one of the country’s foundational stories.

– Excerpt from The Canadian War Museum’s VIMY – BATTLE. MEMORIAL. ICON. webpage